Its all about getting the G -- thats "G" for "gold"-- because winning is everything in the world of competitive figure skating. Sisters Deana Sroka and Andrea Storga, with their best friend Michele Barbieri, know how to win; they are the top figure-skating coaches in New Jersey. For them, there is no limit: for starters, they believe if you want to be a serious skater, the ideal age to start training is at 18 months. (Yes, 1-and-a-half years old.) But its not all about the competition on the ice for these ladies  wait 'til you see what happens when the drama goes out of the rink!

Watch Jersey on Ice December 12 at 10|9c

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I discovered this show on my PVR. My PVR's summary was kinda benign so I thought it was gonna be like that series with Alyssa and Bebe. Or Johnny's show. But then I went on the official website...

Are these coaches at all famous? Never heard of them. Is it gonna be trashy like that Dance Mom show?

Ack, I'm such a completist that I will watch, record and archive the episodes on DVD. This is gonna suck, right?

Isn't Morozov the top figure skating coach in New Jersey? The goings-on at his rink would make a great reality show

But really, manhn - no-name coaches promoting themselves as all that, 1 1/2 year olds being trained as serious skaters, and "drama" out of the rink? Do you really even have to ask if this is going to be trashy like Dance Mom? This sounds like it will scrape the bottom of the trash barrel

"it does look like it may scrape the bottom of the trash barrel, but I still plan to watch it."

And for the same reason, I don't plan to watch it. Where I skate (two rinks in Westchester) this kind of behavior on the part of coaches just doesn't happen - and I've noticed that the best coaches set a tone and behavior standards for their students. Actually sometimes I wish they'd speak much louder so I could hear their advice on one thing or another - but that doesn't happen except very occasionally.

American TV has trashed up everything else so no reason that training in figure skating should be an exception. That said, I won't give it my support because I don't believe that a loud, in your face "attitude" on ice by the coach is an asset for the student or for skating.

Funny that Ice House in NJ is where I had the good fortune (a while ago) to sit in on some of the Sat. coaching sessions by one of the best, Tamara Moskvina. While she might get impassioned about something there was only energy, not attitude, and always impeccable manners from her. Amazing woman!

Good point, Willoway. IIRC, Ice House chose NOT to participate in a show like this. There is a big difference between Training as a skater and training to be the next Snooki. All the best to them, and all that, but ...

I think that the Lake Placid competition they mention as a goal is the ISI winter competition that's schedule for early January, not any of the USFS qualifying competitions. First of all, none of the coaches mentioned have USFS certifications to coach at Regionals. Since the show was taped in September the qualifying competition entry date had already passed anyway. The "Platinum" level the coach mentions in the above clip is definitely an ISI Open Freestyle level. From the required elements for the Platimun test, I'd guess that we're talking about the Equivilent of USFS Juvenile or Intermediate competition level. Most ISI competitions split levels by age, so the competition "on Monday" must be pretty small if it has an 11-year-old and a 17-year-old in the same flight; I'm also guessing that this is probably an "in-house" competition staged for TV, there's nothing in the area on the ISI calendar and nothing at all anywhere on a Monday. The little girl talking about going to the Olympics "someday" is expressing the typical kids' dream but isn't really grounded in reality. Just the fact that the 17-year-old took the summer off to go to Peru tells me that we're not talking serious competitive skaters here.

In the clip, I didn't really hear anything too horrible from the coaches, but, no, they obviously aren't the huggy types and it seems like the show is set up more to showcase the competition between the coaching sisters first and then between the moms who are living through their daughters.

I believe USFS refused to sanction this show, so any parent who signed their kids on for this has no effectively killed any future hopes for anything beyond ISI. I also think those coaches are not USFS recognized. So in short, everyone sold out for a quick buck.

Sorry, can't do it. Can't watch it. I watched the first minute and I got a headache. If someone wants to trade their full coverage of 1968 Olympics for Jersey on Ice, I guess I won't ever get to see Peggy Fleming's compulsories.

There is a place for ISI in the skating world, there really is. It just can't pretend to be more than it is, which is recreational skating where the coaches do the judging. It's rink based and can be like family when kids are just starting. It's figuring out where the real talent is and making the jump to USFS. Some just get stuck. Not everyone belongs in the heavily competitive world of USFS and ISI works for them. Been there done that..got out.

aren't ISI also positioning themselves as more 'friendly' competition than USFS? Or is that just an impression?

I find it interesting that the local rink I used to take LTS lessons in didn't enroll LTS skaters in the club or USFS - I'm not even sure they are a USFS club, but they used all their materials/LTS levels.

This sounds like reality TV terrible. I feel sorry for the 11 year old if she figures out that whatever her mom signed means she can to USFS competitions - regardless of her talent or lack thereof.

It's figuring out where the real talent is and making the jump to USFS.

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Well, no, it's not. ISI is also an opportunity for a lot of skating that USFS doesn't accommodate, e.g. all kinds of adult skating, different kinds of interpretives, various team events.

I've been to four ISI Worlds and a lot of regional ISI competitions, and there is a lot of really good skating at all of them. It's not just recreational skaters or people who couldn't make it in USFS.

That being said, I don't think the kids on this show would do very well in either ISI or USFS

If any of the coaches I know (USFS or ISI) talked to each other the way those four did - on the ice, in fornt of skaters and parents - they'd have been banned from the rink in twenty seconds. I feel bad for the skaters for being subjected to that squabbling - and I feel bad for the parents who pay these coaches to waste lesson time on issues that should be settled off-ice - or not even be issues at all.

The final "competition" was definitely ISI in-house. 35 events with two skaters in each group amounts to about three hours max and waiting until the end to call out the results without posting them first is not something an open competition would do.

Still, for what it was - a show about two sisters behaving badly in front of their children - I didn't think it was that terrible. At least it's the adults who were shown to be the fruitcakes and not the skaters. And it didn't really portray the sport all that badly - no ranting about corrupt judges or incomprehensible scoring - the major failing is that the show fails to explain the level of competition we're seeing.

Well, the KIDS seemed nice...the moms and coaches were all a blond Jersey-accented blur.

So...this is ISI skating, huh? (The programs, I mean.) I've never seen ISI kids before. Huh. Um. Well. (Please tell me this is a bad sample and they're generally better than this.)

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Where I am, all the kids start with ISI. Then about FS3, the more serious skaters start with USFS. They continue with both -doing ISI comps to support their rink and to inexpensively try out new programs in front of judges and an audience(the bronze, silver, gold, platinum levels correspond well with USFS) and USFS comps. After they are juv/intermediate many stop ISI comps because the levels have fewer skaters so it can be more of an exhibition. But they often volunteer during the ISI comps to support their friends at the rink.

I feel sorry for the 11 year old if she figures out that whatever her mom signed means she can to USFS competitions - regardless of her talent or lack thereof.

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I don't think it will harm her, if she is not already a member of USFS. If she is only a member of ISI, then I would think that USFS not sanctioning the show is irrelevant. IRRC, they don't sanction ISI competitions either, and plenty of skaters skate ISI and later transfer to USFS with no issues. It would only be a problem for her if she was already a USFS member, and did not have permission from USFS to participate in an unsanctioned event (the show/and ISI competition/etc).

Now, the $$$ factor of the show could possibly be an issue with USFS eligibility. Back in my day, nobody made $$$ skating unless you were a pro so I don't know how that would fit in.

ETA: danceronice, what you saw skating-wise was no different than what you see in USFS basic skills competitions and in most older-age test-track events at USFS local comps.

ISI is a wonderful organization; I'm an adult No-Test level USFS-wise and there are practically no USFS competitions anymore for an adult skater at my low level (job changes over the years put a serious dent in my skating time, I'm only getting back to it on a truly regular basis now). You learn the same skills in ISI as USFS; in fact, the USFS Basic Skills program came about as USFS (finally) realized there were other skaters out there than just those who expect to go on a seriously competitive test tract of Regionals, Sectionals, etc. I volunteer assistant coach adult beginners at a seasonal rink that concentrates on recreational skating and uses ISI levels. I really miss the ISI competitions my old group used to hold.

ISI competitions are more relaxed and fun; there are 5 awards, 3 medals and ribbons for 4th and 5th place. There also is a team aspect; the members of each ISI team have points added up based on their placements (5 points for a gold medal, 4 for silver, etc.) , and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place team trophies are awarded based on points. However, Jersey on Ice is really distorting ISI more than a bit. Those obnoxious coaches are making it sound like you have to "qualify" for the Lake Placid competition similar to Sectionals or Nationals. That's not true; any skater who is a member of ISI or a member of an ISI team can go. It's just a big ISI competition with a good reputation that attracts a lot of skaters. The concept that these coaches will "select" certain skaters over others for Lake Placid is crap; most coaches band together for Lake Placid to bring any interested ISI skater and have as big and strong a team as possible.

This show is disgusting; the bickering, the nastiness and the focus on the selfishness of the coaches over the skaters themselves does a real disservice to skating in general. Hopefully this piece of junk will be canceled quickly. And I hope none of those skaters are USFS members and won't get hurt by participating. I've read several articles about the show, and USFS skaters are weighing in strongly and negatively, pointing out that these kids are not USFS competitors and how this really doesn't represent the competitive skating world that most viewers are used to seeing. One poster noted that the producers had approached her club and the club/rink couldn't usher them out fast enough. The rink in the show has had some serious coaches, including Alexander Zhulin, but it's reputation is likely to go down the drain with this. While it might be funny, it's a train wreck and makes skating in general look bad.

The website tells you a lot; none of the 4 coaches featured are PSA certified and only Deana holds a USFS certification Sylvia, am I correct in that you need at least one of these certifications to coach skaters for USFS competitions, and some rinks require proof of certification before they even allow you to coach your skaters on their ice? Coaches are also required to take continuing education for keep these credentials going (for the record, I'm an ISI-bronze level judge which I achieved by passing a written test, didn't go any further as I am no longer an ISI member since our ISI team disbanded and I don't compete ISI any more). Even at my level, I'm a member of PSA at the associate level as I only coach a few hours a week and my work is strictly on a volunteer basis assisting the coaches who teach adult beginners. I have no regular students; I don't have the skills or experience to do that kind of coaching. Basically, these ladies are low level coaches only really qualified to teach at the ISI level. If you want a distinction, look at Patty Ensign's qualifications and the type of coaching she does (Regional/Sectional/National competitors) vs the Jersey on Ice coaches.